Various methods for analyzing projects are known in the art. They usually start by receiving task timing information representing the duration of a task and receiving task relationship information representative of relationships between tasks. The task timing information usually includes the task's slack or float—the amount of time the start of the task can be delayed without delaying the project.
This task timing information and task relationship information are processed to provide a network that represents the project and especially represents different project paths (also referred to as paths).
Paths include multiple tasks that are related to each other. Theoretically there are four types of task relationship information: finish to start, start to start, start to finish and finish to finish task relationship information. Finish to start relationship means that a second task (or activity) that depends upon a first task cannot start until the first task is finished.
Usually, the longest path through the network diagram is called the critical path. The activities on the critical paths are called critical activities. Tasks on critical path have zero slack.
The most known project analysis methods are the critical path method (CPM) and the project evaluation and review technique (PERT). CPM analyses a project and provides the project's critical path. The critical path includes all the activities that will have a direct impact on the project end-date, if their duration will extend. Both CPM and PERT use only finish to start relationships. Both CPM and PERT use AON (Activity On Node) diagrams that do not support looping.
U.S. patent application serial No. 2003/0067492A1 of Cadwallaher and PCT patent application publication serial number WO94/16393 OF Engelman, all being incorporated herein by reference, describe method for evaluating projects, and especially methods that are base upon CPM.
Both PERT and CPM were criticized in the past as providing insufficient information to project managers, especially when the analyzed project is complex and also include many tasks.
There is a growing need to provide effective methods and computer readable mediums for analyzing networks, especially large and complex networks.